In "The Dishwasher," a Mexican folk song of the 1920s, an illegal immigrant tells how he pursued his dreams to California and found a harsh life washing dishes, mixing cement and picking tomatoes. The tragicomic song, which appears in UC Irvine anthropologist Leo Chavez's new book about illegal immigrants in San Diego County, ends like this: Goodby dream of my life, goodby movie stars, I am going back to my beloved homeland, much poorer than when I came.

In "The Dishwasher," a Mexican folk song of the 1920s, an illegal immigrant tells how he pursued his dreams to California and found a harsh life washing dishes, mixing cement and picking tomatoes. The tragicomic song, which appears in UC Irvine anthropologist Leo Chavez's new book about illegal immigrants in San Diego County, ends like this: Goodby dream of my life, goodby movie stars, I am going back to my beloved homeland, much poorer than when I came.

I became depressed after reading the Oct. 17 article, "Don't Prejudice Immigrant Study, Stanton Tells Critics." The article describes Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Roger R. Stanton's concern regarding potential uproar over a study that seeks to assess the costs of providing county health and social services to legal and illegal immigrants. It further quotes UC Irvine Prof. Leo Chavez as warning that such a study would send a message to illegal immigrants "that they should move on" and that, "What you're doing is putting a little star on people's heads and telling them that they are different."

Ted Phillips, chairman of the graphic arts department at Moorpark College, asked 16 Latino art students at Moorpark and Oxnard colleges to design graphic works reflecting their culture. The result, he said, far surpassed his expectations. "This is really above junior college level. I think it's university-level quality," Phillips said. The students' work is part of an exhibit, "Vision of Our Culture," which is on display at the Oxnard Public Library through May 27.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Roger R. Stanton Friday urged immigrant rights advocates not to prejudge a county study aimed at measuring the cost of providing health and social services to illegal and legal immigrants. Stanton's comments come in wake of recent criticisms of the planned study, which was requested by the city of Orange Chamber of Commerce and the Orange County Grand Jury. "I'm really worried about a lot of rhetoric on this issue," Stanton said.

Angry and frustrated about what they charged are a lack of programs and support for Latino students, about 450 UC Irvine students turned a Cinco de Mayo celebration into a protest rally Friday and marched to the chancellor's fifth-floor office to voice their demands. "We want to express ourselves culturally," said Angela Acosta, 23, co-chairperson of the UC Irvine chapter of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanos de Atzlan.

A coalition of community groups charged Wednesday that the proposal by Sheriff John Duffy and U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson to station Marines along the U.S.-Mexico border to stem the flow of illegal immigration are contributing to a mood of "anti-alien hysteria" in the county.

A state report that claims illegal immigrants cost San Diego County $146 million annually in local government services is seriously flawed, two University of California experts on Mexican studies said Tuesday. Leo Chavez, an anthropology professor at UC Irvine, charges that the report "exaggerated the number of undocumented immigrants in the county and underestimated their contributions."

Although it is not deliberately designed to be so, "In the Shadow of the Law" could be seen as a potent argument for a more liberal U.S. immigration policy (tonight at 11 on Channel 28). The hourlong documentary focuses on four Latino families from the San Diego area who have been living in the United States illegally. It is produced without any overt editorializing by Paul Espinosa of PBS station KPBS in San Diego. (It ran earlier this month on that station.

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., celebrated today as America's preeminent black civil-rights leader, is increasingly seen as a symbol of equality for Latinos and Asians as well, scholars say. "Dr. King's message transcends race, and that's why he's a symbol for the future of California and our multiracial society," said Leo Chavez, a UC Irvine professor of anthropology. "His message is hope and unity.